| Bob
Campbell
October 10, 2003 |
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| My random recollections of growing up in Louisiana are many and varied. The first TV we saw was at Kritz Radio Shop, probably 1949. We got our first TV about that time, wasn't much to watch, Howdy Duddy and the test pattern. We spent hours there listening to and deciding on the purchase of a 45 rpm. There was also the Sweet Shop to occupy our time after school. I spent a good deal of my youth on the river with my Dad, we fished and duck hunted. I have to say school was not my favorite place, I didn't read until the Summer after 4th grade, Mrs. Marsh taught me to in her home that Summer. Along with Mrs. Marsh my favorite teachers were Mrs. Peacher, both Mrs. Griffiths, Mrs. Morrow, and Mr. Coxy. Karl do you remember the fight that Skip Beedle got us into when we were about 10, we felt pretty dumb later? No Walmart thankfully, Randy's Dad ran the appliance store, Karl's Dad was a contractor, Bob Shield's Dad sold cars, Jan and Jean Ann's Dads sold Insurance, Suanne's Dad ran a Mortuary, and Karen Millner's Dad managed Krogers. Many of our Dads worked at the plant, mine kept the power on for Missouri Edison. Louisiana seemed like a big place, several dime stores, including Holtz Variety where we will have dinner on Saturday, Penneys, my Mom worked there and Dick Marcellus' Dad was the manager, the Arcade and Shirly Shop, oh yes, the Branstetter Pool Hall, bars like the Cotton Club and Twetelo Twill, and Goldies. Green's Bookstore where they sold textbooks, Clark Theater, Paul's and later Bill's Barber Shop. Spending the evening in your car on Georgia Street, Kirk's model A, Bobby's Impala, there were 55, 56, and a few 57 Chevys, all with the V below the tail lights, all in all not a bad place to live and grow up in the 50s. | ||
| I am looking forward to visiting Louisiana again, particularly because I will have the opportunity to see my mother, who at 83 still remains one of my two favorite persons. Had it not been for her belief, support, and love, I probably would not be where I am today. After all, one LHS teacher told her, "Alice, you know, not everyone should go to college, some should work with their hands". So, what has happened to me in the 30 years since we last saw each other. | ||
| When we last visited I had completed degrees at Florida Atlantic University, (hence a life long love affair with Florida had begun) and had just completed my doctoral degree at the University of Kansas. From Kansas, in 1979 I went to the Teaching Research Division of the Oregon State System of Higher Education, for 7 years I was an Assistant, later Associate Research Professor (fancy name for if you get grants funded from the USDE and others, you may remain employed, I've had about 25 million). In 1985 with career advancement in mind I moved to the University of Southern Mississippi, (much warmer!) as Director of the University Affiliated Program and Professor of Special Education, a statewide center for research, training, development for persons with developmental disabilities. Having had enough of university administration (having forgot Kansas winters also) I returned to the University of Kansas as a Senior Scientist in the Schiefelbusch Institute for Life Span Studies, and Professor of Special Education in 1989. Seems like I'm having a hard time keeping jobs doesn't it! | ||
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In 1990 my other favorite person, long time colleague and friend Patti Clayton Buschner, then living in Washington D.C. agreed to become my wife, both of us, having tried this before took a while to decide to marry. Patti's position was that she wasn't about to leave Washington, D.C. (she was born into a Navy family and raised in Fairfax, Virginia) for the wilds of Kansas without a marriage certificate. We have just celebrated 10 wonderful years and planning many more. Patti has two wonderful children, Traci is an Attorney in Austin, Texas, and Bryan, a Senior at Florida State University. They are the children I never had. | |
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While we were in Kansas we got interested in field trialing bird dogs, some of our dogs got to be pretty big runners so we graduated to horseback field trials. That of course requires that one have a horse, (big mistake here). We bought a horse, not just any horse, a Paso Fino Stallion named Innuendo (Indy for short), a show horse. Well, you've heard the expression "you can't eat just one Lays Chip", we couldn't own just one horse! More in a moment! |
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In 1994, we decided that we had had enough of Kansas winters, a colleague of ours at Kansas had left a year before to head a Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders at Valdosta State College, about to be University, they had two faculty jobs, (hard to get in the same field) so that year Patti and I moved to Southern Georgia. As a matter of fact it is so Southern Georgia that we actually live in Florida. We are in the process of building our first home, what fun. | |
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Entry Drive to our Farm |
Back to the horses, in 1994 when we moved South we had by then acquired, shall we say several more. We now have a second business, SouthWind Farms where with our training partner we breed, train, sell, and board horses, a 24/7 business! We have had a succession of National Champions beginning in 1994 and this year had two horses born and raised on our farm win National placements. Oh yes we still have four field trial quality Gordon Setters, they are fat and out of shape. Susie our Standard Poodle, has become the family trail riding companion, some days she covers 10 or 15 miles with horses in training. P.S. She is also often my fishing partner. |
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Our Barn with Indy on guard! |
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| Our plans for the future are to continue in the horse business, that is until we go broke, enjoy our new home, and, oh yes, last year I fulfilled a long time dream and successfully completed a school to prep and several tests to become a USCG Licensed Captain. My goal when I retire from university life is to become good enough as a fisherman to begin a guide service in the gulf coast beach community where we have, as my mother calls it, our fish camp. |
Susie and I on a fishing trip in the Gulf |
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